Kerry head for destiny day

RELENTLESS, isn't it? Cork's fallen, battered corpse is still warm, and we're trampling over it, hunting down some meat on the 'People's Final', whatever that means.

Feeding the hype isn't Jack O'Connor's way, but yesterday in Croke Park, there was no point in deflecting the masses with the entrails. It's Kerry v Ulster, give them what they want. Armagh? Tyrone? Whatever.

That a coach can even speak in such specifics about an unidentified opponent says everything about perception. This isn't a battle of tribes. It's a clash of genre.

"We're not looking at revenge, maybe redemption. We came away from Croke Park hurting badly two years in a row. It's a great challenge for management and the players, and a fascinating contrast in style between northern and southern football," he agrees.

That his Kerry players can become the first side in 15 years to win successive All-Irelands is almost forgotten. For the moment, at least. Forty thousand silenced souls watched the All-Ireland champions take flight yesterday, creasing their neighbouring rivals by 13 points. It was merciless, but ghoulishly fascinating.

Jack brought us into his enlarged warm-up parlour for post-match reflections. The last time that happened was after the final demolition of Mayo last September. There were other similarities.

Kerry employed elementary tactics and got all their troops marching to the same rhythm. Once again they seemed to be enjoying doing the dirty, unfashionable work, none more so than the six defenders.

Darragh Ó Sé and Seamus Moynihan might not be asked for ID at the disco door these days, but they'll be damned if we're going to write them off before their ready. Ditto William Kirby. If the Austin Stacks mineworker wasn't such a benign individual, he might just be getting a little exasperated with the world's opinion of his worth.

"We knew Cork were improving, but we knew we had too, because individual players have found their form in the past month - William Kirby, Declan O'Sullivan, Eoin Brosnan and Paul Galvin. Also Mike McCarthy is only realising now how good a footballer he is, he's more confident and expressing himself. He was a colossus today," the coach said.

And there's more, he believes. "We're possibly on the same curve as last year, still improving, and it's all about the last Sunday in September now."

Down the corridor, Billy Morgan was struggling for magnanimity in defeat. Some of the questions didn't help, but no-one needed to hear the Cork post mortem to recognise what went wrong. Destroyed around the midfield fringes in the first half, his full back line was bombarded with diagonal exocets into the waiting arms of Colm Cooper.

The Dr Crokes superstar - he is no longer a mere star - had four points in his satchel within 17 minutes. Niall Geary was the fall guy, but anyone assigned the same task would have struggled too. Cooper didn't just give Kerry a 0-6 to 0-2 lead - his solo show appeared to demoralise Cork. Visions of 2002 began to shimmer on the horizon.

"We weren't picking up any breaks around midfield in the first half; it's from there that they punished us," believed Morgan. He was right. Kerry snaffled 17 of the 23 kick-outs in the first period.

And what of Cooper? When he was replaced in the final five minutes, he was afforded a standing ovation by those still inside Croke Park. There were plenty of Cork hands clapping too.

"This is a great man," sighs Jack O'Connor, "He's a team player, fights hard for ball, makes scores, takes scores. He's a great leader of the line and a joy to have in the squad."

Of course, there are concerns. He was booked yesterday for retaliation - it seemed ludicrously harsh to be honest - and Cork's defenders are nowhere as practiced in the black arts as their northern brethren. But he likes the bar set high. And invariably he prevails.

He was one of 11 different scorers for Kerry yesterday - every outfield line and the subs bench contributed, the latter unit reminding management that no-one enjoys watching from the Hogan Stand free seats.

Billy Morgan and his management team aren't interested in condescending comforts, so we shouldn't offer any. They were an utter disappointment. Selector John Corcoran, a west Cork man who majors in unvarnished truth, told one reporter that Cork were "devastated." Little wonder. Cork's game plan looked flimsy, yet we know their coach is one of the shrewdest around. And he knows better than anyone that Cork have still to find a marquee marksman.

Progress wasn't a word to drop around Billy Morgan last night, but there's been plenty in 2005.

You won't find progress in the lexicon of Kerry football. "Our dream all year has been to retain that All-Ireland title," mused O'Connor. "These are the games that give you a buzz."

Four Sundays and counting...